there was a scream. a drop of blood came from her nose. >> it was like a game. he was a part of this game. >> we were done with the games. it needs to stop. it needed to stop. >> reporter: michigan snow blankets fields and woodland with silent beauty, sometimes encasing ugly secrets hidden beneath never meant to be disturbed until finally they're revealed and all is made clear. >> i know a lot of people say, "well, you wanted to find her." yeah, i wanted to find her. but then it was gonna become so real to me that -- >> reporter: maybe you don't wanna find her. >> right. >> reporter: it's both things. >> yeah, yeah. >> reporter: start with a mother of two who vanished as she stepped outside her door to pick up mail. >> she wasn't there. and i was walking back into the house. there was limestone gravel all over the sidewalk. and there were bare spots right down to the dirt and the driveway that it looked like a struggle had taken place. >> reporter: an awful confrontation that she herself had predicted. >> she had a conversation with my dad the day before or the night it happened. and she says "i think he's gonna come kill me." >> reporter: this is the night before? >> the night before. she just felt it. i don't know if you have an idea somehow when you know your time is up. >> she said, "dad, when i'm done and gone, you remember this conversation." the next day she was gone. >> reporter: it was a mystery, a disappearance, that would take two investigators years to finally unravel. >> i think it becomes kind of personal. it's just how we do business. we don't leave those little pieces unturned. >> reporter: a fiendishly complicated crime set in rural western michigan kept the rumor mill churning for eight years. where was she? this victim of a murderous scheme in which an x-box live gamer had detectives seeing double. it's country out here. cornfields everywhere, two-lane roads. and it's where a cheerful kid named venus was growing up with her family. the youngest child of larry and therese. venus a goddess to her mom even before she was born. >> i dreamed about this beautiful little girl with big dark eyes. and when she came out and i looked at her, i said, "venus." i can't even tell you how much i loved her. i can't even describe the love. >> reporter: but was venus a little more trusting than she should have been? it was her naivete that always troubled her parents. >> she came home one day and told us that she'd met this guy and that he had secretly confided in her that he was mafioso. then later, we found out he worked at mcdonald's. and he was just embarrassed to tell her that. but she believed him. >> reporter: in 2002, venus was 24, and ready to go out into the world, a soon-to-be a college graduate with a degree in criminal justice. >> she wanted to be a officer of the law. then she found out that she doesn't like guns. so that didn't work. >> reporter: what did work, and instantly, was her attraction to a guy named doug stewart. venus had a friend from work, jaime hess, who knew venus had a soft spot for guys in the uniform. and jaime's brother doug was a marine. >> we set up the first date. there was probably three or four of us couples. we went out to a movie. they hit it off really well. >> reporter: so well, that soon after "hello my name is," the two had become inseparable. what did you see in her, doug? >> she was smart. she was articulate. she was beautiful. some people would -- i guess would call it love at first sight. and four days later, we were married. >> reporter: pretty fast. >> pretty fast. >> reporter: a lot of people could go on a second date before getting hitched. >> think we made it to our second. that's about it. so i think the third date was marriage. >> reporter: to say that venus' parents were a little surprised by the turn of events is an understatement. >> she showed up. she was married and we were dumbfounded. >> reporter: all very sudden but dustin jasper, venus' older brother, got along okay with his new brother-in-law. they both liked outdoorsy stuff. >> we went hunting together, fishing together. we've always had a pretty good relationship. >> reporter: it was a year after their quickie wedding that doug left the marines to keep his bride happy. >> i was looking at deployments and other different things. and she had this fear that i was going -- something was going to happen to me. so she wanted me to get out of the military in 2003. >> reporter: so in 2003, venus and doug began civilian life together. they moved into this house in schoolcraft, michigan, not far from where they both grew up. venus worked in a bank and doug at applebees and pizza hut. a year later, a daughter came along, then, in 2006, a second baby. >> venus hoped and prayed for two little girls. i hoped and prayed for two healthy babies. we both got our wish. >> reporter: so did venus like being a mom? >> oh, she loved being a mom. that was her number one priority. >> reporter: but stay-at-home mom wasn't in the picture for venus, not right away. they were too reliant on her check from the bank since she was the family's bigger breadwinner. so you became mr. mom? >> absolutely. and it was -- best years of my life. >> reporter: when he kicked back, mr. mom enjoyed his xbox. thanks to the game's live feature, he would talk in real time to other first person shooters far and wide. they blew up stuff together and became fast friends. he spent so many hours wandering the virtual world, he stopped looking for work in the real one. the marriage began to crack. arguments led to time-outs, separations and shared custody arrangements. >> he was very immature. venus just wanted to be a mom. >> reporter: then venus had an idea for a fresh start. >> she wanted to move to williamsburg, virginia, miami, florida, or houston, texas. >> reporter: why did she want to go to such far-flung places? >> she said, "well, florida there's disney world. and houston there is sea world and six flags. and williamsburg there is u.s. -- busch gardens." alright mom, on video. give me a smile. hi, mom. >> reporter: and newport news turned out to be the place. >> that was it. newport news put us smack dab in the middle of everything that we wanted. >> reporter: so she's thinking about the kids, huh? >> specifically about the kids. she said, "if i want our kids to grow up, don't you think that we should give them excitement and fun every day?" >> reporter: and you said? >> i can't argue with that. 'cause i would love nothing more. wow, this place is gorgeous, isn't it? there's the carousel. i told you. >> reporter: if the home videos from 2009 are to be believed, the move from michigan to virginia was working. >> like busch gardens? yeah. >> best place on earth. >> reporter: doug had found a job as a truck driver. and home was an apartment on the ninth floor of this building. >> she wanted to live in a skyscraper. it had always been a dream of hers. >> reporter: so things were okay, if you look back at may 2009? >> things were better than okay. they were better than -- it was the best year of our marriage, the best year of our life. >> reporter: but doug and venus' problems ran deeper than anything an amusement park ride could paper over. and, before long, there were screaming arguments again. and a year after making the move, venus had had enough and suddenly bolted with the kids to her parents' place in colon township, michigan. doug was left alone in virginia, more than 700 miles away. big surprise to you, huh? >> very big surprise. >> reporter: two months later, april 26th, 2010, a chilly monday morning started like any day at venus parents' house. her mom went off to work. her dad was sleeping. and venus and the kids were slowly getting up. then, about 8:00 a.m., venus did dad, also a truck driver was groggy from a late shift on the road. he was startled awake. >> i heard the girls being really loud out in the front room. and i thought, "why isn't venus quieting them down?" she knows i'm in here asleep. >> reporter: he got up to see what was going on. the girls were out in the front room. i thought maybe she was downstairs. venus wasn't in the house, but her cellphone, keys and purse were. >> now i'm scared. went outside to look for her. she wasn't there. >> reporter: he immediately called 911. >> she's just not there? >> yeah. she's not here. >> is there a vehicle missing or anything? >> no. >> venous wearing nothing but her thin pajamas had vanished. coming up -- >> left her purse, her phone, all her identification, left everything. >> where had she gone? the search for venus begins. >> i was frantic. i kept calling, where is venus? >> signs of a struggle and signs of trouble. >> we might have a crime scene here. i think the hair on the back of my neck stood up. >> when "dateline" continues. my auntie called me. she said uncle's had a heart attack. i needed him to be here. your heart isn't just yours. protect it with bayer aspirin. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. 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>> yeah, we can't get hold of her. >> reporter: larry also called his wife, therese, who was already at her restaurant job. her co-workers tried to calm her down. >> and they said, "oh, she probably just went around the block.” and i just looked at everybody and said, "get a grip, my daughter doesn't do that stuff.” and i said, "i'm out out of here.” and i went out the door, and i was shaking the whole way home. >> reporter: trooper aaron steensma of the michigan state police was on scene. whenever a young adult goes missing, police customarily ask the family to wait 24 to 48 hours for things to shake out, but right away the officer suspected this might not be someone who had taken a hike of their own volition. >> i didn't know exactly what we had. after speaking with them and what i saw, i was just like, we might have a crime scene here so that's why we cordoned it off and got additional units. >> reporter: venus' dad showed trooper steensma the patch of his gravel driveway that was scuffed up. the father also pointed out a pink hair tie on the ground and something else he hadn't spotted earlier. >> there was a tarp cover, a piece of plastic wrapping with the barcode on it. i didn't realize what it was or anything. i just told them that's out of place. and so he put a rock on it so the wind wouldn't blow it away. and they had people, i guess they are crime scene specialists, that gather evidence. >> reporter: crime scene techs were able to lift what they believed was a fingerprint off the plastic wrapper. that wrapper was for a tarp sold at walmart. but officer steensma was most troubled by what he heard from venus' parents. just a week prior, their daughter won custody of her two daughters. >> i think the hair on the back of my neck stood up, like, you know, after speaking to the mccombs. >> reporter: by this time, mike scott, one of western michigan's top detectives, had been brought up to speed by officer steensma about the marriage on the rocks. >> and as he put it, it didn't look good. >> reporter: and there was a history between them, wasn't there? >> yes, there was. >> reporter: so you certainly want to talk to this husband, doug. >> the first thing we want to do is find him. where was he right now? >> reporter: you knew that he was living in virginia? >> yes. newport news. >> reporter: the day venus went missing, mike scott and venus' mother repeatedly dialed doug's cell phone. >> i was frantic. i just kept calling over and over again and said, "doug, where is venus?” >> reporter: finally, detective scott reached him that night. >> reporter: what did he say to you? >> that he'd been in virginia all day. >> you were in virginia receiving this call, huh? >> yes, about 20 minutes away from my apartment. and he goes, "doug your wife's missing.” and my first reaction is -- is my wife pulling something? and i said, "whoa, by missing, are you saying that she's -- is she just missing from the house? or is she -- or is she missing -- what's going on? fill me in.” he goes, "i can't do that at this time. where were you today?” >> he gave me a couple of locations where he was to support that he was in virginia. one of those being at his lawyer's office in newport news, virginia. >> and he said, "okay. well, can your lawyer verify?” i go, "no, my lawyer wasn't there when i went in. it was just two secretaries.” >> reporter: detective scott asked the local fbi to run down doug's story, and agents did. it checked out. two women on the lawyer's staff confirmed it. they said they saw him come in that day. >> a bit shocking when they said, well, we've checked it out and he has an alibi. >> reporter: so what were the investigators to do? the parents were adamant in their belief that doug had come and snatched venus away. to corroborate their theory, they described for investigators the fights aplenty their daughter had with her husband doug. but eyewitnesses were putting him in newport news virginia, more than 700 miles away. and there was surveillance camera video in his apartment building, in his garage, and of his car to back up his story. how could doug be in two places at once? that wasn't possible, was it? >> coming up, a mysterious man by the lake. >> reporter: you're getting citizen calls? >> yes. >> reporter: people saying, i saw a funny looking guy over at the lake the other day? >> yes. >> had venus gone missing before. >> i came home, she wasn't there. my kids weren't there. i didn't know what to do. >> when "dateline" continues. every night. right after dinner. definitely after meatloaf. like clockwork. do it! run your dishwasher with cascade platinum and save water. did you know an energy star certified dishwasher uses less than four gallons per cycle? 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[ gasps ] there's nothing rosita can't do. i can't do this. she's afraid. can i try? no, no, no, porsha wait! ♪ this girl is on fire ♪ this is probably for the best. but i wrote this part for you. time to show the world what you're really made of. ♪ she's walking on fire ♪ >> reporter: the year before venus stewart went missing, she'd found religion. her brother, dustin, was the devout one in the family, and he was thrilled when venus was baptized in 2009 at the age of 30. in the first days after her disappearance, dustin would need his faith to believe she'd be found soon, and alive. but he also still had hope and his own theory, that doug was holding her hostage. >> i figured it was another desperate attempt of his to try to get her back. since she wasn't having contact with him and stuff, he probably wanted to try to manipulate her and coax her into coming back to him. >> reporter: but police feared the worst and began looking for a body. they searched miles of rolling farm country and thick wooded areas throughout western michigan. >> helicopters came out. >> yeah. the helicopter came out. >> yeah. >> and they were searching -- >> dogs. >> dogs. >> reporter: you've got a lot of water around here. >> we live around the river so you know, that's all that's around us is lakes. >> reporter: immediately after her disappearance, lead detective mike scott had zeroed in on the obvious, the husband, but when fbi agents verified doug's story that he'd been in virginia, scott had to start thinking bigger picture. >> reporter: a woman goes out the front door in her pajamas and is never seen again. someone would be rightfully fearful, is there somebody crazy on the loose abducting people? >> reporter: absolutely. and you're getting citizen calls? >> yes. >> people saying, "i saw a funny-looking guy over at the lake the other day." >> yes. >> now police are looking for this man. two witnesses spotted him at nearby adams lake the night before stewart disappeared. he was wet, and he approached the witnesses for a cigarette. >> i mean right now with this case we have so few clues to go on, we're not going to discount anything. >> reporter: police dredged that chilly lake after reports of the soaking wet man by the water's edge. they worked around the clock, but found nothing. >> it was miserable conditions. i didn't hear anybody complain once. >> reporter: doug stewart was not involved in any of the searches. when detective scott reached him that monday night, april 26th, he was in virginia, and he remained there. he gave a reporter from wood-tv a telephone interview. >> now that the timeline has gone so far, i'm getting very worried and very concerned. >> reporter: despite their ceaseless marital battles, doug insisted he still cared about her. >> i don't know what is next, to be honest with you. i'll just keep watching the news and pray and hope for the best. >> reporter: but he was also still bitter about losing his kids in that custody showdown, just two weeks before. so his take on her disappearance was a unique one. he wasn't upset, he said, because he believed venus was a runaway mom. >> my theory, my wife pulled another fast one. she ran off, couldn't handle the commitment of the situation she was in, with the children, by herself. >> reporter: the way doug saw it, this was no different than that time, two months earlier, when venus had suddenly, and surprisingly bolted with the kids. >> i came home. she wasn't there. my kids weren't there. my dog wasn't there. i didn't know what to do. >> reporter: doug says he thought venus had disappeared that day, too. >> it started getting a little dark. i started getting worried. i kept calling her cell phone, but she didn't respond or pick up the phone, and i got very worried. i called the police and said, "hey, i'm very worried. my wife isn't home. this isn't like her. this -- i don't know what to do." >> reporter: newport news detective todd fowler. >> doug tried to file a missing person's report. >> reporter: but police told doug not to bother. venus had been to the station herself earlier that day to file a complaint against him. when police refused to look into it, she decided to take off for michigan with the kids and the dog, effectively ending the marriage. >> the police officers informed him that, you know, she was not missing. that we knew where her whereabouts were and that she was not coming home. >> reporter: now, it was early may, and her parents and michigan authorities were certain venus was really missing this time, and in serious danger, or worse. and even though doug had an alibi, michigan police went down to newport news to talk to him. >> so we just went down there to investigate the disappearance of venus stewart. we didn't know what we were going to find. >> reporter: shane criger, a detective with the michigan state police, rolled in with his own forensics team. they met up with todd filer, the detective from newport news. together, they all went to doug's apartment. >> we did not disclose to him at that time that we were from michigan. >> reporter: michigan police didn't want doug to clam up, or lawyer up. so they let filer, the local cop, do the talking. >> he didn't seem overly concerned about the disappearance. he felt like she had simply run away and this was some sort of stunt that she was pulling. >> reporter: filer said he didn't jump to any conclusions. >> i hadn't made a decision one way or the other whether she had simply run away or she had been abducted. >> reporter: with a search warrant in hand, detective filer and the michigan officers listened to doug's story, searched the apartment and seized his computers. >> he was very cooperative. he told us about all the computers that were in the house. >> reporter: the michigan cops, who knew all about the bad blood between doug and venus, were looking for any trace of her, dead or alive. >> what were you expecting to do and hoping to find there? >> we knew we wanted to search his apartment for her clothes because that's the last thing she was seen in. we wanted to try to find her clothes, if possible. >> reporter: any signs of venus being around that apartment? >> no, nothing. >> reporter: but the forensic investigators kept looking. then they went outside to search doug's truck, still hoping to find a sign of venus, or any other helpful lead. the truck was an absolute mess. the debris from a disordered life. but there amidst the french fries, plastic lid, and bits of crumpled up paper was an unexpected clue. once it was analyzed, the investigation would shift into another gear. >> coming up -- >> when he called me, he says, "are you sitting down?" >> a tiny piece of paper is about to provide a very big break. >> they were able to locate a receipt in there for the purchase of a tarp, a shovel, gloves and a hat. >> and where was the receipt from? >> it was from a wal-mart. >> when "dateline" continues. hey hun hey, get your own vapors relax with vicks vapobath or with vicks vaposhower. take a soothing vicks vapo moment wherever you chose. searching for survivors in kentucky. the twisters tore through parts of illinois, mississippi, missouri and tennessee. "the new york times" has reported that at least 90 people have died including 80 in kentucky. president biden approved an emergency declaration for the state to help improve recovery efforts. now back to "dateline." >> reporter: ten days into the investigation, the search for venus stewart, and whoever abducted her, was now heating up in two states, michigan and virginia. in michigan, police were trying to develop the few clues they'd found outside her parents' house. the fingerprint they'd lifted at the scene was still waiting for analysis at the state crime lab. and then the plastic wrapper for a tarp that police believed had been used in venus's abduction. detectives were running down its bar code, looking for where the tarp came from and who bought it. >> looks like it had been recently purchased from walmart, but we didn't know which walmart. >> reporter: that wrapping ends up at the -- what you believe is the murder scene? >> yes. >> reporter: venus' two daughters stayed with their grandparents in michigan, while friends and family searched for the girls' mother. >> she's around this area somewhere. >> reporter: venus' aunt mary organized the search groups. and even when she wasn't out looking, she kept a shovel in her car so she could rush over to help dig anywhere, anytime. >> you look for anything that's out of place. if the ground has been dug up, even a year ago, you're gonna be able to tell. >> reporter: more than 700 miles southeast in newport news, virginia investigators were also searching. after nothing had jumped out at them in doug's apartment, the special forensic unit began combing through his truck. >> the truck looked like a sty. >> the truck was in disarray, yes. it had not been cleaned. >> reporter: scraps of papers, old french fries and crumpled-up receipts. it looked like leftovers from a college road trip. but all this dirt was about to become pay dirt. one smudged receipt suddenly got the forensic team's attention. >> they were able to locate a receipt in there for the purchase of a tarp, a shovel, gloves and a hat. >> reporter: they couldn't believe their eyes, or their luck. >> we thought they were joking, because who leaves that in their truck? but inevitably, they weren't kidding. they had the receipt. >> maybe your biggest single piece of evidence? this crumbled, tossed away receipt? >> yes. >> reporter: an investigator on the forensic team immediately called detective scott back in michigan. >> when he called me, he says, "are you sitting down?" >> and in all the garbage, there's this receipt, huh? >> yes. a hat, some gloves, a shovel, and an 8x10 tarp. and that was the item that we were looking for because the wrapper found at the mccomb residence was for an 8x10 tarp. >> and where was the receipt from? >> it was from a walmart. >> reporter: specifically, the walmart in van wert, ohio, about two hours southeast from where venus disappeared. but not one of the walmarts michigan investigators had checked out. >> i doubt we would've found that purchase had we not had the receipt. >> the date on the receipt itself was smudged. we didn't know when these items were purchased. so, the investigators began contacting the van wert walmart store to try to determine the date. and we learned right away that those items were purchased the evening before venus stewart went missing. >> now van wert, ohio is not near michigan. it's not near newport news. what's going on with the walmart in the state of ohio? >> it's in direct route between newport news and michigan. >> reporter: but the feds had proof doug had been in virginia when venus disappeared. so how did the ohio receipt get there? detective scott and prosecutors john mcdonough and chuck herman, meeting in their war room, suspected someone else was involved. but if that was true, they had no idea how. that didn't matter to mcdonough, then the youngest elected prosecutor in michigan, who was itching to arrest doug right now. >> i said, "all right, we got him. let's go." >> reporter: green light, this is it. >> let's charge him now. >> reporter: it didn't happen. cooler heads prevailed. >> i had to listen to chuck and detective scott telling me, "calm down. let's get everything ready to go." >> reporter: fact was the investigation was still missing key evidence, not least a body, a major hole -- maybe even a case-buster -- for any would-be prosecution. >> reporter: do you say let's go slow? nobody's going anywhere. let's see where this take us. >> right. i still felt there was more to be done to tie up any loose ends and put this case together better. >> reporter: mike scott, working his last case before retirement, knew the biggest loose end was discrediting doug's "i was in virginia" alibi. so he asked the detective from newport news to keep digging. >> this case became a top priority for me. >> reporter: todd filer, who'd kept an open mind when he first interviewed doug in his apartment, was now skeptical. >> it's lucky for us that that receipt was not in some landfill somewhere between here and the state of michigan. >> reporter: so filer went back to the law office where doug had been spotted the day venus disappeared. the local lawman had some follow-up questions to ask, ones the fbi had left off their list. >> coming up -- >> the individual was wearing a baseball cap, a hoodie and large mirrored aviation sunglasses, >> doug in disguise to visit his lawyer? down right strange. >> generally people don't come in disguising their appearance, you know, unless they're up to, you know, something of questionable activity. >> when "dateline" continues. are infused with natural essential oils to create authentic seasonal scents that fill your home with holiday spirit all season long. connect to nature this season. better skin from your body wash? try olay body wash with skincare super ingredient collagen! olay body wash hydrates to improve skin 3x better, from dry and dull to firm and radiant. with olay body, i feel fearless in my skin. i've been telling everyone... the secret to great teeth is having healthy gums. crest advanced gum restore. detoxifies below the gumline... and restores by helping heal gums in as little as 7 days. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. the insurance company enwasn't fair.ity y ca i didn't know what my case was worth, so i called the barnes firm. llll theararnes rmrm now the best result possible. ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ i d d so my y quesonons eouout hicacase.y y son, ♪ call one eight hundred, cacalledhehe bars s fillion ♪ i d d soit was the best call eouout hii could've made. call the barnes firm and find out what your case all could be worth.uld've made. ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ >> reporter: one month after venus went missing, her father, a truck driver, had a heart-breaking journey to make. by then, doug had moved out of the couple's newport news apartment and returned to michigan. so larry mccomb headed south. >> the people that ran the apartment complex where she lived called us and they said there's all kinds of stuff like the kids' toys, pictures. would you be interested, and we'll send them to you? i said, i'll come and get them. and i went down and got all the girls' toys. i got all the pictures that i could find. that was very painful. >> reporter: he found comfort, though, from venus' neighbors. >> i saw where my daughter lived, and everybody in the complex was so supportive. nobody liked doug and everybody loved venus and the girls. >> reporter: and it's somewhere in these same weeks that venus' grandfather gets a call. >> my dad called and said, venus is alive. he couldn't get nothing out of >> and during the phone call with venus' grandfather the woman said i'm in illinois near a relative's home but the phone records didn't support that. we did not believe that phone call came from venus stewart. we thought that was somebody playing a sick joke on the family. >> reporter: you think that was doug putting somebody up to it? >> i can't say it but i suspected it. >> reporter: and back in michigan there was a court proceeding taking place. but not the kind venus' family wanted. >> the preliminary hearing today as doug stewart works to get custody of his two young daughters. >> reporter: strange as it seems the court is still going ahead with this whole custody issue. >> yeah, doug's driving us into court trying to get his girls back and there was no way he was getting custody of those girls. >> reporter: doug's claim is he's the father, he's around but the mother isn't so he should have custody of his children not venus' parents. hanging over the hearing of course was the strong suspicion that doug was the reason why the children were motherless. venus's father didn't pull any punches. >> i asked him if he'd murdered anybody lately and it was something that popped out of my mouth. >> reporter: the judge scheduled another hearing for three weeks later. but in the meantime, denied doug custody and even visitation rights with his young daughters. >> relieved. i feel really relieved. that's about all i have to say. >> reporter: while the court was delaying a final decision on the children, detectives in michigan and virginia were stepping up their investigation. in newport news, detective todd filer now suspected doug's alibi was part of some ruse. what with the walmart receipt in his truck saying "ohio," as in area code 419, when doug had been telling everyone "virginia." >> michigan state police told us doug had gone to his lawyer's office to make a payment on the pending child custody dispute. they stated that the fbi had gone out to the lawyer's office and confirmed that he had showed up and made a payment to them the morning that she disappeared. >> reporter: but detective filer now had his own followups for the secretaries in what he was beginning to think looked like one pretty outlandish scheme. he had two theories. >> one, that the secretaries could have possibly had some sort of relationship with him and they'd been lying to the fbi to cover his tracks. or, that somebody posing as doug had come to the law office and made a payment, and indeed it wasn't doug. >> reporter: so the women described again the man they had seen that day, but this time, in greater detail. >> the individual was wearing a baseball cap, a hoodie with the hood pulled up and large, mirrored, aviation-type sunglasses. >> generally, people don't come in with, you know, hoods up and large glasses, disguising their appearance, you know, unless they're up to, you know, something of questionable activity. >> reporter: so detective filer asked them if they were positive it was doug stewart, and he got an important admission. >> neither one of them said that they were 100% sure it was doug. >> reporter: as they now recalled it, even though the man in the pulled-up hoodie and dark glasses made a payment, as doug, he never looked them in the eye, and there was no small talk. then he rushed off, instead of waiting for his receipt. filer called lead detective scott in michigan with his take. >> i don't think it was him at the lawyer's office. he said, "that's great. now we're one step closer, you know, to solvin' the case." >> reporter: a complicated, maybe even clever, scheme was now coming into sharper focus for investigators, centering around doug stewart and some mystery man in virginia. >> these points all represent cellphone towers. >> reporter: back in michigan, detective criger was checking doug's cell phone records, hoping to come up with some answers. >> reporter: what jumped out at you? anything obvious? >> the biggest part was three or four days just prior to venus' disappearance, there were numerous calls, between 7 and 15 calls per day to and from doug, from one particular number. >> reporter: a constant phone-mate but the detectives also noticed a gap. the day before venus went missing, the cell phone was turned off. it didn't go back on until the next night. >> and then, all of a sudden, the calls start coming back to and from this same number. >> reporter: so the question becomes, who's at the other end of this phone call, huh? >> right. >> reporter: it was quick work finding out who the phone pal was. the calls were traced to the small town of bear, delaware to a young man named ricky spencer. ricky was a college kid, living in suburbia with his parents. >> reporter: you're checking to see if he's got any offense reports, if there's a sheet on him? >> sure. >> reporter: he's coming up clean. >> yep. his dad has his own veterinary clinic. they're well to do. the mother and father are both extremely caring. he has siblings. >> reporter: it didn't make sense. why would a college kid from delaware have anything to do with an older ex-military man from michigan and virginia? in mid-june, eight weeks since venus went missing, michigan detective criger and his lieutenant, chuck christensen, decided to find out. they got in the car and headed east. destination: bear, delaware. would the man on all those phone logs hold the key to what happened to venus stewart? >> coming up -- >> we've got a guy who i believe is of interest. he's making a lot of calls to doug. he looks a lot like doug. he could pass for doug. we did not want him to know we were coming. >> police pay a surprise visit to this mystery caller. >> how do you know doug stewart? >> xbox live. >> and he's got a surprise of his own. >> what was the business he said he needed to care of? >> go see his lawyer. >> did he say why? >> when "dateline" continues. are you tired of clean clothes that just don't smell clean? downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters keep your laundry smelling fresh way longer than detergent alone. if you want laundry to smell fresh for weeks, make sure you have downy unstopables in-wash scent boosters. ♪♪ thousands of women with metastatic breast cancer are living in the moment and taking ibrance. ibrance with an aromatase inhibitor is for postmenopausal women or for men with hr+, her2- metastatic breast cancer as the first hormonal based therapy. ibrance plus letrozole significantly delayed disease progression versus letrozole. ibrance may cause low white blood cell counts that may lead to serious infections. ibrance may cause severe inflammation of the lungs. both of these can lead to death. tell your doctor if you have new or worsening chest pain, cough, or trouble breathing. before taking ibrance, tell your doctor if you have fever, chills, or other signs of infection, liver or kidney problems, are or plan to become pregnant, or are breastfeeding. for more information about side effects talk to your doctor. ♪♪ be in your moment. ask your doctor about ibrance. ♪ after a night like this, crest has you covered. crest, the official toothpaste of santa. follow us @crest to celebrate the 12 days of crest smiles. >> reporter: two months in, here's where things stood in the investigation into the disappearance of venus stewart. the western michigan mother of two had gone out to the mailbox in her pajamas one morning in april 2010 and hadn't been seen again. investigators suspected her estranged husband doug was behind it. his once-solid alibi, that he'd been elsewhere, was now on shaky ground. cops theorized that he maybe had a stand-in in virginia so he could sneak off to michigan. but could they prove it? to find out, detectives shane criger and chuck christensen drove from michigan to an upscale neighborhood in bear, delaware to question a college kid named ricky spencer. >> we've got a guy who i believe is of interest. he's making a lot of calls to doug. he looks a lot like doug. he could pass for doug. >> reporter: on june 21, 2010, the detectives made an unannounced visit to this house, where ricky lived with his parents. >> we did not want him to know we were coming. >> reporter: just knock, knock, knock. >> correct. >> reporter: ricky's sister and mother came to the door. >> explained to them we needed to talk to ricky. we thought he might have some information to help us out on a case that we were working over in michigan. >> reporter: at the barracks, in an interview room, the two cops appraised ricky. 20 years old, polite, clean cut. >> how do you know doug stewart? >> through xbox live. >> through xbox live. >> reporter: he told the detectives they'd been friends in the virtual-world, playing shoot-em-ups and talking long distance for a year and a half. then they met face to face for the first time during ricky's spring break from college on april 1, 2010, april fool's day. ricky said he was invited by doug, a man ten years his senior to stay at his place in newport news. ricky was there for a week. >> we went to busch gardens one time for, like, the day. and we were tryin' to go to the clubs. i'm not 21 yet, so -- >> you're not 21 yet? >> no. >> okay. >> then we just played xbox. i mean, he was a chill guy. but it was just awkward, you know. >> yeah. >> 'cause he's like, close to his 30s and i'm like in my 20s. >> right. when's the last time you saw him? >> my spring break, might be in the beginning of april. >> okay. >> reporter: but the detectives suspected that wasn't true. by then, they'd stitched together a solid timeline of the ricky/doug communications based on cell phone logs. on april 25th, the morning before venus disappeared, ricky's cellphone pinged in bear, delaware. >> the last call he made before shutting off his phone was to doug stewart. >> reporter: then they both turned off their phones, except ricky briefly turned his back on. good for the investigation, bad for ricky. >> his phone hit off a tower just north of doug's apartment later that morning. >> reporter: so he's not in delaware. he's all the way down in coastal virginia? >> correct. >> reporter: ricky then told the detectives that he'd recently learned from doug that something happened to his wife. >> he was like, "ricky, she's missing." i'm like, "what, dude?" 'cause he was tellin' me like, she does weird stuff, like weird stunts. >> reporter: was ricky still covering up for both doug and himself? lt. christensen thought so. he tried to shake him up, taking a turn as the bad cop. >> i'll be blunt. doug stewart abducted and killed his wife, okay? we also know that somebody went into a legal office down there in newport news, virginia to pay a legal bill for him. we also know that you were down in that apartment during that time. >> yeah, i wasn't. wait. sorry. what? >> the 25th of april. and the 26th. >> of april? no. i was only there on spring break. >> he was reluctant to admit the truth. >> reporter: but he was starting to distance himself from doug, bit by bit. >> i googled his name again. and i saw some weird [ bleep ]. they found a receipt or somethin' from a different state close to michigan. and i was like, what the [ bleep ]? at that point, i was like, i'm not talking to this guy. that's weird. >> reporter: so detective criger put on his good cop hat, soothing, supporting, sympathetic. >> you're probably thinking, "what am i gonna do? i didn't know any of this was gonna happen." you know what i'm saying? >> that's some [ bleep ] >> it is. i know. and i don't think you're involved with the planning of that. i think it was more him. and you just kinda got caught up in something you realized after the fact. "whoa, this is way over my head. i don't want any part of doing this anymore." you got a couple sisters, right? >> yeah. >> what if this happened to your sister? you close with them? >> yeah, i'm pretty close with them. >> what if someone took your sister? >> be upset. >> you'd be upset, wouldn't you? >> yeah. >> that is what's going on with venus' family. they're right now going, "we need closure to this. we really do." you need to help us with that. because you are part of this game now, but not our main concern whatsoever. >> reporter: the detectives sensed ricky was ready to come clean. >> like shane said, if -- if we thought that you were -- you were a main player in this, do you really think we'd be dealing with you like this? absolutely not. so my first question to you is did he tell you he was gonna kill her before this happened, before you went down there? what did he say? >> he needed -- take care of business up in michigan. >> reporter: finally, ricky sighed and started to unspool his story, a spellbinding thriller involving doubles and deception with doug stewart as its mastermind. >> what was the business he said he needed to take care of. >> go see his lawyers. >> did he say why? >> the hired. >> they'd broken it. >> he's our guy and mike's reaction was something to the effect of holy cow. >> mike scott who'd preached patience with the prosecutor before immediately dispatched officers to apprehend doug stewart. trooper aaron steensma was part of the team that tailed him to this convenience store. >> we just walked in and said, "douglas stewart, you're under he turned around, and placed the handcuffs on him. >> were you surprised? >> absolutely. absolutely. i thought it was a mistake, and i'd get an apology. >> reporter: doug had told police from the beginning he thought venus skipped out on him and his kids. after his arrest, he said it again to detective scott. >> i got very upset. i told him, i said, "i've worked with you from day one. i do not know where my wife is." >> therese, how did you learn that doug had been arrested? >> oh, the state police came to the house and told us. the same day they told us venus was deceased. >> they said they arrested him for murder and her legs went right off from underneath her. >> i couldn't accept it. >> reporter: police had declared her dead even without finding her body and prosecutors were preparing to file a first degree murder charge. but as doug stewart got ready to stand trial for murder, venus' family's trials were far from over. >> coming up -- >> douglas stewart caused the death of venus stewart. >> he was very good as kind of presenting himself as the all american guy. it was very bizarre. you're on trial for murdering your wife and none of this seemed to affect him one bit. >> when "dateline" continues. now way for you to sell your car. whether it's a year old or a few years old. we wanna buy your car. so go to carvana and enter your license plate answer a few questions. and our techno wizardry calculates your car's value and gives you a real offer in seconds. when you're ready, we'll come to you, pay you on the spot and pick up your car, that's it. so ditch the old way of selling your car, and say hello to the new way at carvana. better skin from your body wash? 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yes! you'll know exactly how well you slept, night after night. we take care of the science. all you have to do is sleep. don't miss our weekend special. save up to $500 on select sleep number 360® smart beds. plus, 0% interest for 48 months, and free premium delivery when you add a base. ends monday. february, 2011. a courtroom in centerville, michigan. it had been nearly a year since venus stewart disappeared in her pajamas. her husband doug was now on trial for her murder even though the body was never found. a fundamental fact of the defense's case. doug pleaded not guilty and said he was surprised that he was even arrested. >> this is my opening statement. >> the responsibility for prosecuting doug stewart fell to baby-face doug mcdonna. seated at the defense table, doug stewart wearing casual guy sweaters and sweater vests. >> courtroom demeanor, what'd you see, john? >> he was very good at kinda presenting himself as kinda the all-american guy. it was very bizarre. 'cause we would go into chambers, he would talk out loud like he was one of the guys. you're on trial for murdering your wife. none of this seemed to affect him one bit. >> reporter: as the prosecutor began his case, his opening witnesses focused on april 26th, 2010, the day venus vanished. state trooper aaron steensma, first on the scene, testified that he believed he was looking at a crime as soon as he talked to venus' parents. >> i pulled into the driveway and i was met by a female who was hysterical and crying. >> and what did you do next? >> she told me that he took her. he took her. he took her. >> reporter: early on, mcdonough wanted the jury to meet venus' parents, to see them as the stable decent and loving people they were. venus wasn't some kind of wild child bad mother. >> was it odd that your daughter would've left her children alone? >> it was more than odd. it was something that would not happen. >> reporter: after sketching out the last day that things might ever be normal for venus' parents, the prosecutor turned the clock back 24 hours and moved the scene from michigan to northwest ohio. april 25th had been a chilly night in van wert, ohio. the man who walked in the front door of the walmart was easy to remember, according to the walmart security officer. despite the weather, he was wearing a loud shirt and flowery hawaiian shorts. >> that's the customer entering right here in the striped shirt. there he is right here. >> what is this a clip of? >> this is associate rebecca hill with the customer following her. >> reporter: jurors watched intently as the video showed doug marching through the aisles. at the defendant's table, the accused knew what was coming next, an inventory of the items he bought that night. he picked up a shovel, gloves, a tarp, and a hat. >> can you tell what's in his hand? >> this appears to be a shovel and the tarp in his left hand. >> reporter: the clerks at walmart had no trouble remembering the customer. >> most people weren't wearing shorts at that time. >> reporter: donna stiffler, a cashier in the lawn and garden section, remembered approaching the customer who looked like he was going to a luau. >> i said, "welcome to walmart. can i help you?" and the first thing i think he asked for was lime. >> reporter: why would he ask for lime? >> you throw lime on anything that's decaying. it almost acts like baking soda would to absorb odors. >> reporter: donna told the shopper, sorry, they didn't sell lime. she said he grunted and kept on moving. minutes later, he was back at her register to check out. >> do you remember what that person bought? >> a tarp, shiny shovel, silver, duct tape and gloves. >> do you see that person in the courtroom today? >> yeah. >> what was that? >> yes. >> could you point him out and describe what he's wearing? >> i'm so nervous. he's over there. >> what is he wearing? >> a white vest. i remember his eyes more than anything else. >> you could tell that she was just terrified of this guy. my god. you know, i sold this guy these things that helped him kill his wife. >> reporter: and there was something else that tripped doug up, a credit card blunder. before he went to michigan, doug bought a throwaway cell phone called a trac phone that normally assures anonymity. except, as you can see doug swiping here, he's just bought it with a credit card that created an electronic receipt revealing the phone's unique i.d. that made the phone, and doug's movements, easily traceable. >> he didn't think we would find these trac phones that he had. >> reporter: master criminals don't save receipts and buy on credit cards. >> absolutely not. >> reporter: criger could then follow the path of that particular trac phone through gps technology, just as if it were a personal cell phone. >> using the phones, how close can you get him to his wife's driveway? >> pretty close. within five to seven miles. >> reporter: but, by now, something else put him even closer, old-fashioned forensics. remember, the smudge on the plastic tarp wrapper found outside venus' parents' house? it was a fingerprint, turned out, doug stewart's fingerprint, placing him at the scene of venus' disappearance. prosecutors believed it was damning evidence. >> yeah, i swear. >> reporter: but to close the deal, they'd have to put on the stand the college-kid impostor with a head-spinning tale to tell. would it be too incredible to be believed? coming up -- >> he said this is where you come in, ricky. i want you to be my alibi. >> reporter: ricky spencer lays it all out: a plan to murder. >> it was like a game. he was part of this game. >> when "dateline" continues. ons . he's the most important thing in my life. i'm so lucky to get him back. your heart isn't just yours. protect it with bayer aspirin. be sure to talk to your doctor before you begin an aspirin regimen. [music: sung by craig robinson] ♪ i'm a ganiac, ganiac, check my drawers ♪ [sfx: sniffs] ♪ and my clothes smell so much fresher than before ♪ try gain flings and you'll be a gainiac too! the only detergent with oxiboost and febreze. new vicks vapostick. strong soothing vapors... help comfort your loved ones. for chest, neck, and back. it goes on clear. no mess just soothing comfort. try new vicks vapostick. and the rest of the evidence that you hear -- >> reporter: chief prosecutor john mcdonough called on his star witness who, in the course of two days, would tell one of the most mind-boggling stories ever heard in this st. joseph county, michigan courtroom. >> please call your next witness and we'll have him sworn in. >> we call ricky spencer. >> reporter: ricky, now 21, seemed like a young boy in a grown-up world. his dress shirt, not his customary tee, ran big in the sleeves. >> how do you know mr. stewart? >> i met him on xbox live in december of '08. >> how often did you play xbox live with mr. stewart? >> anywhere from six to ten hours. >> a day? >> yeah, on a daily basis. >> this was his life. some people might sit and read, he played xbox. >> reporter: even though he'd never met him, ricky told the jury he felt a strong tie to the former marine. >> would you say he was your best friend? >> yes. he called us brothers from another mother. >> what did you -- >> brothers from another mother. >> this was his idol. probably one of the very few people he had social contact with. >> reporter: doug and ricky met in person on april fools' day in 2010, nearly a month before venus disappeared. doug was living alone and invited ricky down for spring break. surveillance camera footage showed ricky in virginia. >> "you know, we can party, you can drink and i can help you with your papers." >> reporter: ricky testified that for the first three days, they went to the busch gardens amusement park, played xbox live, and drank. they hung out like frat brothers. on day four, the prosecution asserts that doug got down to business. >> he's like, "hey ricky, i want to tell -- tell you something, it's really important. let me finish before you interrupt me." >> reporter: ricky testified that doug began to vent on his estranged wife venus. ricky said doug was portraying venus as an abusive, even dangerous mother to his two girls. that wasn't true, but ricky didn't know that. doug then told ricky he needed to do something desperate. >> he's telling me that he's going to go kill his wife. >> when he was telling you this, what were you thinking? >> i was just shocked. i couldn't, like, believe what i was hearing. >> okay. >> and he said, "this is where you come in, ricky. i want you to be my alibi, just pretend to be me and live in my apartment. >> reporter: ricky's immediate reaction was an emphatic no. >> i was like "no dude. i don't want to [ bleep ] here anything about this." and he didn't talk about it for the rest of the day. >> reporter: but doug kept at it over the next two days. despite everyone else's portrait of venus as mom of the year, doug pushed negative venus stuff on ricky, telling him how she smacked around their older daughter. >> how did that make you feel? >> i felt bad for him. he was saying, like, "if only, you know, someone could be my alibi." i'm like, "no, dude, i can't -- i can't do this." >> reporter: doug kept ratcheting up his stories of abuse, concluding with the most graphic one -- venus had tried to choke one of the girls. >> "ricky, if i wasn't there at that moment, the kid might have died." >> he again asked you to help him kill his wife? >> yes. >> and what did you say? >> i said -- "okay, dude, i'll be your alibi." >> reporter: ricky caved, and, according to the prosecution, doug had a plan ready to go. he took his recruit to a nearby park for a crash course in how to get away with murder. >> he asked me, like, "ricky, if you're trying to kill someone and you don't want any evidence, what do you use?" and i told him, "well, not a gun because it leaves evidence. and he says, "right, not a gun, so what is it?" "not a knife 'cause that leaves evidence." and he says, "right, not a knife. so what is it?" doug said, "you choke somebody." >> reporter: and right there in the park, doug demonstrated on ricky his military chokehold. >> he gets me in that headlock, two seconds, and he puts me down, and i'm, like, out of breath. he says that if you do that to somebody for 10 seconds, you know, they pass out. do it for over 30 seconds, they're no longer alive. >> reporter: doug coached ricky to be aware of surveillance cameras. to pull off this double vision ruse, ricky would need to wear sunglasses, a cap and a hoodie pulled up and over. ricky returned to delaware to wait for doug's signal. it came on april 15, 2010. doug drove up from virginia, ricky from delaware, and they met at a gas station in bethesda, md., outside the nation's capital. that's where ricky said doug gave him the things he needed to turn into doug, his clothing, cellphones, keys to his car and apartment, and a credit card. >> what's that a photograph of? >> this is the parking space area where i met with doug stewart. >> where did you go? >> i went -- i drove to virginia. >> where did doug tell you he was going? >> to michigan. >> what was he gonna do there? >> he didn't say kill his wife, but he said to take care of business up in michigan. >> and -- >> but i knew what he meant. >> reporter: sure enough, surveillance cam pictures taken april 15th show ricky easing into doug's life in newport news. he parked in doug's garage, as instructed, and hung out in doug's apartment. >> this is the lobby in virginia. this is between 10:00 and 11:00. here's me with a hoodie, a piece of paper sticking out of my pocket, the wendy's bag. >> reporter: with doug's credit card, ricky had bought a double cheeseburger and fries at wendy's. >> why did he want you to use the credit card there? >> to make it look like that he was in virginia. >> somewhere deep down, prosecutors wondered, did ricky, a little slow on the uptake, think that this was all pretend? >> act like you're me. don't look at the camera. keep your head down. you know, wear this sweatshirt." and it was like a game. he was a part of this game. >> this was ricky's little mission. >> but the mission, "mortal mission i" in gamebox-speak, had gone amiss. doug had to hit the reset button. on his way to michigan, he'd been pulled over in the wee hours by a state trooper in ohio who said he was weaving lanes. the traffic stop was irrefutable proof that he wasn't in virginia. >> i got a phone call from him. he said, you know "the plan's off." and i was relieved to hear it. >> reporter: but doug wasn't ready to call it quits after one bump in the road. he kept on talking. >> "hey ricky, i want to try doing this again." and i told him i didn't want to. it was like, a one-time deal, and i didn't even want to do it the first time. >> reporter: but then, according to ricky, doug upped the pressure. he told ricky if he didn't get onboard with the original plan, he was going to wipe out everyone, a massacre. >> instead of just making it look like she disappeared, he was talking about going in there and killing anyone that was inside the house, besides his kids. >> so what did you do next? >> i told him, "okay, dude. we'll do it again. i'll be your alibi again." >> reporter: there would be a "mortal mission 2." >> coming up -- >> a drop of blood came from her nose. >> reporter: a virtual world turns suddenly, violently real. and a spellbound courtroom hears the most harrowing part of the story. >> he was going to go to -- to bury her. >> when "dateline" continues. hey hun hey, get your own vapors relax with vicks vapobath or with vicks vaposhower. take a soothing vicks vapo moment wherever you chose. hello, i'm dara brown. rescuers are still looking for people. the twister tore through parts of arkansas, illinois, kentucky, mississippi, missouri and tennessee. "the new york times" has reported at least 90 people have died including 80 in kentucky. president biden approved an emergency declaration to help with recovery efforts. now back to "dateline." >> do you recognize the person in this photograph? >> reporter: doug stewart was on trial for murder, but his sister jaime couldn't bring herself to be in the courtroom. >> i don't know what to believe if i did but that's the hard thing. and you just don't know what to believe. and i -- i really don't want to think that my brother did anything terrible. >> reporter: but dustin jasper -- the victim's brother -- was there on most days, grabbing a bench seat within good stare-down range of the accused, doug stewart. >> he never made eye contact with me. i think he's too ashamed. >> reporter: but on the stand, shame didn't seem to figure into the bold-as-brass story about doug that ricky spencer was telling the jury, how after the first run to michigan was a bust, doug called ricky again. >> and he said, "hey dude, it's done. i killed her and her dad." and i was like, "what?" and he says, "no, i'm just kidding." and i told him that wasn't funny. >> so he said he was kidding and you told him it wasn't funny? >> yeah. >> reporter: ricky's second day on the stand as the star witness. prosecutor mcdonough picked up his questioning with ricky's description of mission number two, the assault on venus stewart. >> did you attempt it again? >> yes, we did. >> reporter: it was deja vu all over again. this time, sunday, april 25th. >> i went down to virginia. he was heading up -- back up to michigan. >> reporter: later that day, ricky said he made a call to doug's boss, pretending to be doug, under the weather. >> and i said in a sick voice, like, "hey bobby, this is me -- doug. i'm feeling like [ bleep ], dude. i can't get to work." he said, "all right." so doug didn't have to come to work on monday. >> reporter: monday would be venus's last day alive, as ricky would explain in his chilling story of duplicity and death. it began, the prosecutor said, with doug in a field across from venus' parents' house. >> he parked there with his truck kind of watching things. i'd say probably 500 yards from venus' parents' house. >> reporter: doug called ricky at 7:00 a.m. from a trac phone and gave him his instructions. >> ricky, i want you to leave anywhere from 8:00 to 8:15. nothing later." >> reporter: doug then sneaked up close to the house, police said, hiding behind this woodpile. back in virginia, ricky was establishing the alibi. >> you recognize that photograph? >> it's me leaving the apartments on the 26th. >> reporter: his next instructions were to wait for doug's call. that came just before 9:00 a.m. >> and what did he say? >> he said, "okay, dude, it's done." i was kinda shocked to hear that. and i said, "what happened?" he said that he called venus' parents' house in michigan and said that he was the mailman, he had a package for her and she came outside. >> reporter: just like that, ricky's virtual world had turned real. game over. he was displaying emotion on the stand for the first time. doug was showing nothing. >> and he jumped out. and he said that there was a scream, she only screamed once, and that she tried putting up a fight. but he was able to get her in that headlock and a drop of blood came from her nose and that was it. i asked him if it was worth it. and he said it was, to protect his kids and give them some type of future. and he told me that -- he told me that -- he was gonna call me later 'cause he was gonna go -- to -- [ crying ] -- bury her. >> did he understand the consequences, ricky? >> i think when it was over it finally hit him, this really was a homicide. someone actually died here. it's not on the xbox. it's not somebody blowing up a cartoon figure. it was a real person. >> reporter: later monday, ricky continued in the supporting-actor role. he went to doug's lawyer's office, dressed in the hat, hoodie and sunglasses. doug told him to make a payment to one particular secretary. >> he said that she's not all there in the head, and that -- just hand her the envelope, say who you are and tell 'em that you're in a hurry and tell 'em to mail you the receipt. >> did you do that? >> yes. >> reporter: later that day, ricky and doug drove to their meeting spot in maryland to exchange clothing, cellphones, keys and the credit card. they talked briefly. ricky piped up to express a newfound fear. >> i was asking him -- i said "hey, dude, are you going to kill me? he said, "no." i said, "good, 'cause if you did, that would suck." and then he asked why, you know, why did i ask that? and i says, "because i know what you did." >> that was the first thing that came to my mind. you know, why in the heck didn't doug kill this kid? why did he leave this witness out there for somebody to find? >> reporter: the prosecutors fully expected their case with the jury would rise, or fall, on the shoulders of ricky spencer. >> reporter: and yet you've got to worry on cross-examination whether the defense is going to rattle his cage an undo him? >> that's always a worry. he probably could hold his own. but we didn't know. coming up -- >> quite honestly, his testimony is just so bizarre. >> was his a true tale or a tall one? ricky spencer's story, under scrutiny. >> what evidence do you have that venus stewart is dead? >> when dateline continues. ♪♪ the party peñas. ♪♪ they see your ugly sweaters, and raise you some mittens. nyquil severe gives you powerful relief for your worst cold and flu symptoms, on sunday night and every night. nyquil severe. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, best sleep with a cold, medicine. i've been telling everyone... the secret to great teeth is having healthy gums. crest advanced gum restore. detoxifies below the gumline... and restores by helping heal gums in as little as 7 days. crest. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. everyone needs health insurance. covered california is making sure more people can get it. new federal funding of $3 billion is available to help more californians get covered. julie and bob are paying $700 less every month. dee now gets comprehensive coverage with no monthly premium and the navarros are paying under $100 per month. check coveredca.com to see your new lower price. covered california, this way to health insurance. enroll by december 31st. guesswork, if you think about anything in this case, i want you to think about the word "guesswork." >> reporter: in its opening argument, the defense asked jurors to pay close attention to a prosecution case that had no victim's body and no eyewitness who saw the defendant in michigan, much less killing his wife. >> i believe at the end of this case, the prosecutor is going to ask you to guess. >> reporter: after ricky spencer's riveting testimony, anticipation was building. would the defense be able to rock the wild story from the so-called double? the defense lawyers, jeff and kymberly schroeder, the married and highly regarded team, were poised to attack more than ricky's testimony. they were going after his character, too, and the deal, they claimed he'd made for leniency with the prosecution. >> my defense, my story, had to do with ricky evading life in prison, ricky being an accomplished liar. >> reporter: cross examination strategy number one was to muss up the clean-cut young man image he projected from the stand. they started with the x-rated screen name, the tag, he'd picked for himself when he played xbox live. >> ricky, your gamer tag is dark [ bleep ], isn't it? >> yes, that's correct. >> what's a [ bleep ]? >> it means a bunch of guys. >> reporter: ricky explained to the jury the overt and very explicit sexual connotations of his online name. the defense wanted the jury to look at ricky as an unsavory young man without a moral compass. >> and if you believe his testimony, he decided to -- to help commit murder, rather than deciding to call the authorities. >> of course you don't want the jury to believe that story, but there's a moral issue that hangs over the testimony here. right. >> reporter: this guy could have thrown a wrench in the works and stopped it. >> he could have. >> reporter: he could have done the right thing, but elected not to. >> if you believe his testimony. and i think that's one of the reasons why his testimony's not believable. >> reporter: evidence that ricky could be shifty with the truth? he'd already admitted in direct testimony that he'd lied to his parents about what he was doing over spring break. >> did you want them to know that you were going to visit mr. stewart? >> no. >> why? >> because it seemed kind of strange to go meet up with somebody that you played xbox live with who's a lot older than you. >> reporter: but the defense took a mostly hands-off approach with challenging ricky on all those very detailed recollections of his story. what he did which day in virginia, what he bought with the credit card, which security cams he played to. the defense stance was, jurors, a lot of detail here, but it's all a fantasy from a young man trying to save his own skin. >> thank you, that's all i have, your honor. >> reporter: after only 20 minutes of less-than-explosive cross examination, they got him off the stand. >> quite honestly, his testimony was just so bizarre. >> it's a strange story, isn't it? >> it's a very strange story. >> reporter: a story spun, says the defense, so ricky could cut a sweetheart deal with the prosecutor. in return for his testimony, ricky would not be charged with conspiracy to commit murder but he would enter a plea to a lesser charge. >> i think that he was coached many, many times to give the testimony in the way that he gave it. >> he was taught to become a good witness, you think? >> i think so. i think that he had to do a good job. you know what, if he didn't bring the case home for the prosecutor, it's my belief that he thought he would be facing those charges. >> reporter: the defense called no witnesses. >> the defense rests. we're ready for closing arguments, your honor. >> reporter: doug stewart didn't take the stand. but he did sit down with "dateline" for an interview. >> after hearing everything that i've heard, everything that i've seen, i still haven't seen anything showing me that my wife is hurt, she's harmed. >> reporter: so what did he make of the star witness, the sensational testimony of ricky spencer, his young xbox buddy? >> i don't understand any of his testimony on the stand. i mean, he got locations right, as far as he came down, he was on spring break. >> why does ricky come down? >> he mentioned to me, "well, i got spring break coming up from college. i'm coming down there to busch gardens with some friends." april 1st, i got a phone call, and he goes, "well, i'm almost there." and i said, "almost where?" "i'm almost to your apartment." he just showed up. >> now the guy's in your apartment. you're the host, and he's a sort of the uninvited guest. is that what's happening? >> i felt comfortable enough with him where i said, "okay, i guess you could stay here." >> so the story that he would tell authorities and then testify, under oath to in the court almost like a spy movie plot, none of that stuff is true? >> the whole idea of hurting my wife or doing any of that stuff is very strange and very weird. none of that is true. >> reporter: in his closing statement, jeff schroder hoped he could convince at least one juror that, without a body, there was reasonable doubt. >> what evidence of that kind in this case do you have to demonstrate to you that venus stewart is dead? >> reporter: so what about all those purchases at walmart? doug stewart seen walking the aisles in loud, floral shorts? they asked rhetorically would a man about to commit a murder be so dumb as to call that kind of attention to himself? >> is he trying to hide things? he's wearing hawaiian shorts asking people where things are. does that sound like somebody who's going to use it in a crime? >> reporter: and he bought a shovel, the defense attorney noted. so what? >> what evidence have they shown you that a shovel was used in the killing of venus stewart? they haven't. >> reporter: schroeder summed it up for the jury. he claimed the prosecutor had an illusion of evidence, a circumstantial case woven together with ricky spencer's tall tale. >> they've tried to make you think they have all this evidence, but they don't. and they haven't proved their case. you have a duty to do. and that's to find doug stewart not guilty. >> coming up -- >> you believe she's alive? >> i've gotta believe she's alive. >> reporter: what would the jury do? >> the clerk will read the verdict. >> a verdict and a whole new chapter in the mystery. >> he showed up to the door. he said that it was part of the case. >> the case was never closed. that's the missing piece. >> when "dateline" continues. ♪ [band plays] ♪ a place where everyone lives life well-protected. ♪♪ and even when things go a bit wrong, we've got your back. here, things work the way you wish they would. and better protection costs a whole lot less. you're in good hands with allstate. click or call for a lower auto rate today. are you tired of clean clothes that just don't smell clean? 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>> i've gotta believe she's alive. if she's not, i -- i don't think i can handle it. i don't think my kids can handle it. >> if she's alive, that would be incredibly cruel, what she's doing. >> i could never forgive her. >> on the record, the people versus stewart. the jurors indicated they've reached a verdict. >> reporter: the moment had arrived. venus' brother and mother knew a guilty verdict would be small consolation, but they wanted to hear it anyway. a few feet away stood the accused, eyes blinking, face twitching. >> the clerk will read the verdict. >> members of the jury find douglas harrie stewart, as to count one, guilty of first degree premeditated murder. >> reporter: guilty. jurors clearly believed the star witness ricky spencer's story of being the alibi and the double. but they also determined that doug's fingerprint found at the crime scene on the plastic wrapper was powerful evidence. >> it's a scheme. it's a conspiracy. there's one other person that knows what's going on, and that's ricky. is he lucky to be alive in your opinion? >> yes. he made the case for us. >> and if doug had killed him? >> it would be very difficult to prove this case without ricky. >> reporter: outside the courtroom, the young prosecutor, john mcdonough, hugged venus' mother. >> i was so happy to be able to reach out and say to her, you know, "we got him." we promised her we would do it and we did it. >> what difference does that make? my daughter is not here. that's all i could think about, that was venus isn't here. >> reporter: sweater vest gone, shackled at the legs and hands, doug wasn't giving an inch. >> i'm innocent. i did not do these crimes. >> reporter: his story, rejected out of hand by a jury that needed only three hours to convict him, was nothing if not consistent. "dateline" found that out in our interview the month after the verdict at the st. joseph county jail. why did you want to talk today because you didn't have to talk. >> my biggest issue i wanted to talk was at the end of this trial i wanted to know what happened to my wife, where my wife is, if anything happened to my wife. i wanted answers. i didn't get them. so i guess i would -- i would ask that the police department does not fold this case closed. because even though they believe it is it's not. >> you're saying you didn't do it, and you don't know where she is? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: the judge saw it differently. >> i am sentencing the defendant to life in the michigan department of corrections without possibility of parole. >> reporter: doug stewart was sentenced to life without parole. and ricky, after testimony that swayed the jury, was allowed to plead guilty to a lesser charge, a conspiracy to commit manslaughter, and was sentenced to one year in county jail. venus' family didn't think that was enough, not by a long shot. >> he could have saved my sister. he could've let the authorities know. they could've been waiting for him at my -- my parents' house, and it'd been over. >> reporter: the killer was put away for life. but for two detectives in michigan the story of venus stewart wouldn't be case closed until they found venus' remains. but where to look? >> maybe do we want to split up and have a group on this side and have a group on this side? >> reporter: the search picked right back up again in this vast countryside of woods, fields and farms. two lawmen driven. >> why pursue it? >> yeah, i mean, the case was never closed. the criminal part, yes, but because her body was never located, that's the missing piece to the case was that we were never able to locate her. >> reporter: and venus' family waiting and hoping for a closure. >> it's not too late for doug to do the right thing. he can repent for his wrongdoing. tell us where my sister's body is. >> reporter: four years after the trial, lt. christensen and det. petersen of the state police decided to call on doug in prison. maybe he'd be willing to tell them more now. went to the prison was to simply go and talk to him and see if anything had changed. that was back in 2015. i know we both felt after our meeting, that he was hostile. he was still hanging on to the fact that he had nothing to do with it. he was still trying to cast blame -- >> wrongfully accused, wrongfully convicted -- >> yes. >> somebody else did it.od i'm not your guy. he's still holding on to that? >> he's holding on to that so much so that when we walked outh of the room, we both had the conversation that i don't think he's ever going to give it up. >> reporter: doug was no help. so detectives decided to re-investigate an old rumor. one that had buzzed through the community for years. it had to do with a barn owned by doug's sister jaime. the same sister who introduced doug and venus years ago. jaime had poured a new concrete floor in her barn right after venus had gone missing. >> and what was the question you had for her, todd? >> i told her that there was a tip that, you know, that venus had been buried and was underneath the concrete in her barn. she immediately knew what i was talking about. ab she was aware of those rumors that were in the community. and she was real emotional about it, because it always kind of weighed on her mind what if he could have actually done it. >> do you remember that? were you expecting anyone? >> no. no, not really. but he showed up to the door. i knew he was there for doug. he wanted -- excuse me. he wanted to go over the concrete. he said that it was part of the case. >> reporter: investigators had chased this lead before. but now they were armed with new technology, a ground-penetrating radar that do see through concrete. >> these rumors were going on for years, weren't they? >> oh, yeah. sister's got venus buried under her barn. and we're gonna follow dad in the pickup truck. they were sure he was gonna -- he was gonna dig her up and move her.e and, you know, it -- yeah, it was hard.ha >> reporter: she knew full well there was nothing in that barn but compacted soil. and sure enough, the radar revealed nothing. but that didn't mean jaime believed her brother was d h innocent. >> i had an old employer that i had that i ran into grocery shopping. she goes, "do you think he did it?" and i just kinda, you know, andt she's like, "in your heart do you think he did it?" yeah, i do. >> reporter: a heart that was also heavy with guilt. the responsibility she felt for introducing her brother doug to venus back then.in >> that just goes through your mind. you know, thinking, jeez, if i never introduced this, this would have never happened. you know, but we also wouldn't have -- >> you beat yourself up for that? >> oh, for years. >> reporter: so the day the detective showed up at her doorstep, it was as though she' been waiting all these years foi just this kind of visit.s she wanted to show the detectivd some rumpled pages of writing. >> she mentioned to me that she'd had this letter in her ti purse and she pulls it out and it's -- i mean, obviously you could tell that it had been there for seven years.r and it was to venus' mother, as therese. >> and never delivered? >> never delivered. she said she didn't -- just couldn't get herself to deliver it because she was afraid of the rejection. >> reporter: but now, by reaching out, making the first move, the convicted killer's te sister would set in motion a ou sequence of events leading to the unravelling of the last o mystery in the case.in the sister and the victim's mother would unite and work together to find venus. >> coming up -- >> i wanted her to have venus back. i wanted everyone to stop hurting. >> where was venus? after all these years, would they finally learn the truth?l >> you want to know. you want to know where she is.an but at the same time you do nott want to know.he >> when "dateline" continues. organic ingredients and fermentation. fermentation? yes, formulated to help your body really truly absorb the natural goodness. new chapter. wellness well done so, i started listening to audible about two years ago. a friend of mine recommended a book to me, and i got hooked really fast. and then it kind of just became a lifestyle after that. i've found new authors. i've found new interests. i've found all of these wonderful things. audible has all the entertainment you love. text listen4 to 500500 to get thirty days free. i like thrillers, true crime podcasts, news podcasts... science fiction, space dramas... a lot of classics. i listen almost exclusively to the audible originals. i also think it's pretty special that they get audiobooks that aren't released anywhere else. my friends listen to audible as well. i'll recommend a lot of things to them, especially the new sandman series. you can find things that will take you to new worlds. audible is a great escape. go anywhere you want. endless entertainment and education and content. for the best audio entertainmet and storytelling, text listen4 to 500500 to get thirty days free. >> reporter: pummeled with guilt that just wouldn't go away, jaime, doug's sister, wrote two letters. one for her two nieces. one for venus' mom. >> what was the message, jaime? >> oh, just told her how terrible we felt. you know, what -- what doug had done and that, you know, venus was my friend. she was my co-worker, and she was family. and basically i just wanted to be a family again. missing out on those last eight years of these girls growing up, i missed that. i missed eight years. >> reporter: so when detective petersen knocked on her door that day, jaime asked him for help in reconnecting with venus' mom, therese. he set up a meeting at his office. >> does this begin with words or kind of wary glances at one another? >> oh, no. i was -- >> she hugged him. >> i was just -- blabberin', blubberin' fool. i mean, i just sat there and just cried profusely. and i was there to tell her i was sorry for what my brother had done. and here she comes across the room and gives me a big hug and tells me she's sorry for what my brother did to our family, which just -- >> where were you coming from, philosophically, at that point? was this about forgiveness or -- >> i -- she didn't do nothing to be forgiven for. you never done anything to be forgiven for. >> reporter: the building of family bridges was too late for venus' dad larry. cancer had taken him six months earlier. but the two families, at odds for years, were now talking again, doing their best to reconnect and heal. doug, in the meanwhile, was sitting in his cell, still insisting he had done nothing wrong. >> you know, he complains about being in there and how terrible it is. but guess what? we're all -- we're all out here living it. >> reporter: his sister had had enough, and she told him so. >> i wanted her to have venus back. i wanted everyone to stop hurting. and it's -- and that's the approach that it took. it took going to doug and telling him we're done. we're exhausted. >> once he found out that we were talking and were friends, then the jig was sorta up, because he had lied to her, he had lied to me. >> reporter: with his appeals exhausted, and his family applying pressure to reveal where the remains were, detectives went back to see doug. seven years after the trial now, his stance had changed. >> i didn't sense the anger that was there from our prior meeting. we spoke in hypotheticals about if you work with us, can you bring us to the location of where she's buried? >> reporter: a few months and a couple of visits later, doug, a lifelong gamer, was ready to play. he made demands for his cooperation. >> when we spoke to him though, he had -- he had a specific list that he gave to us in terms of what he would like for consideration. >> so "i will take you guys to the body, but i want this stuff on my list"? >> hypothetically, i could take you to the body, but i would like to have these items for me. >> reporter: on his list, doug wanted to teach in prison, join the k-9 program, and be permitted to attend his parents' funerals when their time came. and, one more request for his unit, a gaming console. and not just any. he wanted no substitutes, an xbox. >> are you kidding? that's where this whole thing started. the xbox game? >> yes. >> he wanted one for inside? >> specifically mentioned xbox because they were being used throughout the country in some of the other prisons. >> how much of that stuff was doable? would you even consider doing it? what did you think about that? >> at first we both thought there wasn't a good chance we'd get all that. i believe in that first meeting we said, hey, if we can't get 100% of this, does that mean the deal is off in and --? and he said no. and that was an eye opener he was serious about getting some things to make i guess his circumstances better on return. >> the michigan department of corrections said yes to most of his requests. an xbox for the unit was already in the works anyway. detectives went to see doug again. they delivered. would he? >> i told him specifically, "this is the time right now. if you wanna do this, we're going to do it. if you don't want to do it, we're out. we're done." >> reporter: detectives say he took a long pause and then -- >> he started out, i believe, by saying, "you know i didn't kill her at home." and that's kinda where the narration started, where he described getting to the house and calling her from the house that morning. that when she came out is where he attacked her and began to put her in, like, a choke hold. >> reporter: doug says she passed out, and he put her in the bed of his truck. he then drove to a wooded clearing he remembered from his teenage years. there, he said, venus revived and they argued before he stabbed her. detectives weren't sure they believed the details of his story, but were struck by the fact doug showed no signs of remorse as he laid out the grisly details. >> i didn't see a whole lot of feeling there. there's a little bit of emotion right at that -- that moment where he describes where he takes her life. >> reporter: next doug needed to reveal the site where he buried the body eight years before. he quickly zoomed in on and pointed to a spot on a google map. >> it's a dirt road on -- in the southern portion of kalamazoo county. right at the entrance off of this dirt road to a soybean field, very wooded. >> you got him here in shackles and you're walking through the site? >> yes. >> yeah. >> how certain was he that this was where he had disposed of the body? >> positive. >> he knew it. this -- >> positive. no doubt in his mind. >> reporter: this police video, shot in october 2018, shows doug, in shackles, leading the detectives through the thick brush. >> this was the biggest open area. >> reporter: without hesitation, he pointed to the place where they should dig to find his wife's remains. >> i walked right in through here, and everything -- there were so many stumps, trees, and debris, like he's standing, there's so much debris. like, this was the open spot. >> and then you started to dig. >> yes. >> what's he doing the whole time that you're digging? it takes you an hour or so to -- >> we talked to him up here in the clearing there and had him away from it. i think you could tell he really didn't want to be near it where it was actually taking place. but he knew that we had to keep him here just to confirm that we were in the right spot until that point. >> reporter: and it was the right spot. after about an hour and a half of digging and sifting, the years-long search was over. the remains were positively i.d.'d and detectives reached out to venus' mom and doug's sister, whose rediscovered friendship had led to this moment. >> you want to know. you want to know where she is. you want to know what he did, but at the same time you do not want to know. you don't. >> you don't. >> i don't want to know the particulars. >> no. >> i never do. i'll never want to know that. >> reporter: the family had a burial service for venus in december 2018. the bond between the two families, once sundered, has been growing stronger every day. >> how do you describe your relationship? >> i'd say she's like my daughter. >> yeah. >> jaime, you agree? >> yeah, i'd agree. yeah. >> yep. we can be a family. and we enjoy each other's company. we go -- we -- she loves the girls so much now. >> the kids have a joint family now. that's the important thing, therese. right? >> yes. yes, yes. >> reporter: several cold winters later, the mystery of the missing venus stewart has finally been put to rest. but memories of a loving mother, a daughter and a friend will be kept alive by those who hold the story of venus close to their hearts. >> she was my best friend. i never went a day without talking to her. never. the girls miss -- they missed out on a really good mom. >> is she alive in their memory? >> oh, yeah. i talk about her all the time. >> we all do. >> reporter: as for doug stewart, the gamer, his decision to finally confess and give it up changes nothing in his sentence. he, and his new xbox, will be in prison for the remainder of his life. this this sunday, tornado catastrophe. >> this will be, i believe, the deadliest tornado system to ever run through kentucky. >> 100 or more feared dead, mostly in kentucky. >> if you had to describe what's happened to your town for people that don't live here, what would you say? >> it's gone. >> rare december tornadoes crash through six states. >> they're working on trying to save some people trapped in the rubble. >> an amazon warehouse destroyed in illinois. >> i had no idea the building looked that bad, and i'm just -- i'm worried sick. i just want to know if he's okay. >> we'll get the latest from kentucky governor andy beshear.

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